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FBtron wrote:just disgusted by this guy. Creating pillows with peoples bottoms on one side automatically adds a sexual charge to the pillow. And to be selling these? Its too much. What this man is doing is wrong.

Creepy or not, the release stands. It's legal. Unfortunately (and by the looks of it, every person who has a law degree) it is her own damn fault.

This guy is shady, no doubt, but is he smart? Alot of people are bashing him and slandering him but he made no legal mistake. It sucks.

A C&D order could be sent, but would he listen? Probably not. He didn't step over any legal boundaries.Don't get me wrong, I think it is beyond creepy to do this. Even I would get a little weirded out, but I would consider it flattering since I wear the costume FOR ATTENTION. Sure, cosplay=/=consent, BUT IF YOU'RE DRESSED AS CAMMY/MORRIGAN/YOKO, WHAT DO YOU THINK PPL WILL LOOK AT? Your eyes? Grow up.

I feel bad for the "victims" because they were probably signing something they shouldn't have OR they didn't know the full rules of releases. Yes releases must have the consent of BOTH parties, but if YOU SIGNED IT, you technically screwed yourself. End of story.

While he may be within his rights (that was a fairly thorough release, if it's the one that people at the con signed) he is making a terrible career move here. This kind of publicity might get his name out there, but it's going to cripple his business. Cosplayers tend to stick together. Once the word gets out, his name will be blacklisted, even if he does show up at other conventions.

FBtron wrote:Creepy or not, the release stands. It's legal. Unfortunately (and by the looks of it, every person who has a law degree) it is her own damn fault.

This guy is shady, no doubt, but is he smart? Alot of people are bashing him and slandering him but he made no legal mistake. It sucks.

A C&D order could be sent, but would he listen? Probably not. He didn't step over any legal boundaries.Don't get me wrong, I think it is beyond creepy to do this. Even I would get a little weirded out, but I would consider it flattering since I wear the costume FOR ATTENTION. Sure, cosplay=/=consent, BUT IF YOU'RE DRESSED AS CAMMY/MORRIGAN/YOKO, WHAT DO YOU THINK PPL WILL LOOK AT? Your eyes? Grow up.

Thank you for your reading on the legality of the release. I can tell you totally know the law, because you have that all-important utter inability to tell slander from libel that all lawyers have.

I also like your old-school "blame the rape victim" argument. "Dude, c'mon, she wanted it, did you see the way she was dressed?".

The one thing that stood out to me was this -- in the e-mail, the photographer kept claiming that the pillows were really small pillows. But in the picture the one complaintant took of what they claimed was their own picture, the pillow is huge, like a king-size pillow. So either that complaintant faked a pillow of her own picture just to make a ruckus, or the photographer is not being honest about the size of the pillows. Of course, we don't know which. But if more people start posting pictures of large pillows with their own pictures on them that they claim were sold by the photographer, it will become clear.

FBtron wrote:The one thing that stood out to me was this -- in the e-mail, the photographer kept claiming that the pillows were really small pillows. But in the picture the one complaintant took of what they claimed was their own picture, the pillow is huge, like a king-size pillow. So either that complaintant faked a pillow of her own picture just to make a ruckus, or the photographer is not being honest about the size of the pillows. Of course, we don't know which. But if more people start posting pictures of large pillows with their own pictures on them that they claim were sold by the photographer, it will become clear.

In the video of the woman claiming to have seen them first-hand, she is clear that there are at least two different pillow sizes and that the larger size is a "body pillow".

This is all kind of weird. Do people collect those pillows? Why would anyone want to buy a pillow with a cosplayer on it? Why would anyone be so chintzy to produce those pillows? Reminds me of something I'd find at a cheap toy store in China.

This is not sick. Eric knows what he is doing and The release is ALWAYS explained to the MODEL. These pillows are not meant nor EVER meant to be what you are calling "sex play" pillows or my personal favorite "fap fap" pillows. I ALWAYS GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO TAKE THEIR TIME AND READ THE RELEASE THEMSELVES. I ALSO EXPLAIN IT TO THE AND MENTION THE PILLOWS. EVERY MODEL GETS A EMAILED VERSION OF IT. HE HAS EVERY SINGLE RELEASE OF EVERY MODEL. HE IS AN ARTIST AND WANTS TO SHOW HIS CONCEPT. IF THE PERSON IS A MINOR I MAKE SURE THE PARENT SIGNS FOR IT.

THIS IS MEANT TO BE A CONVERSATION PIECE, A DECORATION AND A MEMORY OF ALL THE HARD WORK EVERY COSPLAYER PUTS INTO THEIR COSPLAY. THAT IS WHY CUSTOM PILLOWS ARE OFFERED. A MODEL RELEASE HAS ALWAYS BEEN EXPLAINED CONSIDERING I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM FOR 3 YEARS. ERIC IS A HARD WORKER AND AN AMAZING FRIEND. HE IS RESPECTFUL AND NEVER WOULD DARE TO OFFER "SEX PILLOWS." WHEN I WAS WALKING AROUND I SAW GIANT PILLOWS WITH GRAPHIC DETAILS ON IT. THOSE MAY BE CONSIDER BUT ERIC JUST WANTS TO MAKE A PERSON A MEMORY.

HE OFFERS HIS INFORMATION AND ALWAYS EMAILS THE RELEASE TO THE MODEL. ANY MODEL SAYING THAT THEY NEVER AGREED TO DO THIS IS A LIAR. MEMORY CAN FAIL US YES. BUT DO NOT PUT AN ARTIST AND HUMAN BEING ON BLAST BECAUSE YOU "CLAIM" TO FORGET THAT YOU DID THIS. CONVENTIONS CAN BE LONG AND YOU GET WORN OUT. I AM SAYING THIS IS THE FACT OF MODELS FORGETTING THAT THEY SIGN, NOT US BECAUSE I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET MODEL RELEASES OUT THERE AND EXPLAINED.

RUMORS ARE PATHETIC AND SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE. I MODEL MYSELF AND ANYONE WITH QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME. I AM A LAID BACK PERSON AND UNDERSTAND WHERE CERTAIN PEOPLE CAN FORGET THEY SIGN AND SEE THEMSELVES ON A PILLOW A YEAR LATER AND FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT. THAT HAPPENED AND WE TOOK IT DOWN RIGHT AWAY TO MAKE HER FEEL COMFORTABLE AND ALL WAS WELL. EVEN SHOWED THEM THE MODEL RELEASE WE HAD FOR HER. I ALSO STARTED ASKING MODELS HOW THEY WOULD FEEL BEING SOLD ON A PILLOW AFTER THE ONE PROBLEM. EVERY SINGLE ONE I ASKED SAID POSITIVE THING LIKE, "THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!! I WOULD LOVE TO BE ON PILLOW!" FAMILIES ALSO DO THIS TOO. IF WE WERE TARGETING IT AS A "SEX PILLOW" WHY THE HECK WOULD WE LET FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN DO THIS?!?!

THE LARGER PILLOW WAS FOR DISPLAY ONLY! ONLY 1 WAS DEVELOPED AND A SMALL ONE WAS MADE, AGAIN ONLY 1 IN STOCK. ACTUALLY 2 VERY NICE YOUNG LADIES RECOGNIZED HER AND I IMMEDIATLY SAID TO ERIC THAT THEY KNEW HER. HE TALKED TO THEM FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR FRIEND AND THEY SAID YES. HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK DOWN THE PILLOW AND SAID "PLEASE PLEASE GIVE THIS TO HER, I WANT HER TO HAVE IT." SHE DID A LOVELY JOB AND SHE DESERVES THIS. I AM SURE HE IS WILLING TO SEND HER THE BIGGER ONE TOO. HE IS RESPECTFUL AND JUST WANTS TO SHOW HIS IDEA TO THE WORLD. THE TWO FRIENDS TALKED MORE WITH HIM AFTER THAT AND WALKED AWAY SMILING AND SAID BYE VERY NICELY TO ME.

THESE WORDS ARE NOT TYPED, SAID, WHATEVER IN A MEAN WAY. I AM AWARE THAT READING CRAP ONLINE CAN BE TAKEN A WRONG WAY. I AM A RATIONAL, NICE PERSON AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE PLEASE MESSAGE ME ON FACEBOOK IF YOU DO HAVE A QUESTION OR IF YOU DID HAVE A SHOOT THIS PAST WEEKEND.

FOR THOSE SAYING IT IS SICK AND ETC. PLEASE LEARN THE REAL STORY FIRST BEFORE YOU BELIEVE LIES. AND OTHER VENDORS SAYING HE IS NOT WANTED IS CERTAINTY VERY RUDE. NOTHING IS BEING DONE ILLEGALLY AND IT IS SAD THAT VENDORS ARE SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND HERE YOU ARE TALKING NONSENSE.

YOU WANT THE TRUTH. ASK ME. I WORK FOR HIM. I SUPPORT HIM. I KNOW HIM EXTREMELY WELL. WHEN YOU MESSAGE ME, DO NOT BE IGNORANT AND CURSE ME OUT, SAY HES DISGUSTING BECAUSE YOU REALLY JUST MAKE YOURSELF LOOK STUPID. IF YOU HAVE LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS I WILL CERTAINLY ANSWER THEM.

THE PEOPLE SLANDERING HIS NAME AND HIS HARD WORK IS SAD. IS THIS YOUR 15 MINUTES OF FAME? ALL HAD TO DO WAS CONTACT HIM AND EXPLAIN AND HE IS AN UNDERSTANDABLE MAN WHO WOULD STOP THE PILLOWS ASAP. BUT NO LETS MAKE A BIG POST ABOUT IT AND GO VIRAL. ACTUALLY THANKS FOR THE FREE PRESS!

AND FROM THE PREVIOUS POST HER AND HER BOYFRIEND CAME OFF VERY RUDE TO ME. I UNDERSTOOD THEY WANTED TO TALK TO ERIC AND I NOTIFIED HIM. I COULD NOT STAND AND SPEAK WITH THEM ANY LONGER BECAUSE WE WERE BUSY AND CONSIDERING THAT IS MY JOB AND THAT IS WHAT I DID.

RESPECT GOES A LONG WAY PEOPLE. REMEMBER THAT.

BUT IF THIS WAS YOUR ARTISTIC CONCEPT THAT YOU WORKED HARD ON FOR A CONVENTION, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?

Is there like a contest in the mod forum to see whom can go fishing for the biggest weirdos on Facebook? Between the above and the crazy horse dude from last week you guys are really going above and beyond.

The pillows being sold were definitely WAY too small to even be considered in the same category as "sex pillows" or whatever you want to call them. That being said, I still think it's a bit odd to be selling them when the cosplayers were unaware of their existence.

The Loki pillow was the ONLY larger one, but couldn't have been any larger than a small child, from what I could tell. It was NOT being sold, just displayed. I see nothing wrong in that, as the photobooth in the Doubletree has sample prints clearly displayed on THEIR table, and nobody ever complains about THAT. The issue in this, to me at least, is the selling of the smaller pillows and 360Âº prints, not the displaying of them.

As far as the legality goes, we WERE all informed of the release and were asked to sign it if we consented. We were NOT informed, however, that we were being thought of as models, instead of clients, or that our images were going to be sold in any way. All we were told was that the form was to give the photographer permission to post the photos on his site and on Deviantart and to use them in any way he saw fit in order to promote himself (like on a pillow). We were also told that he would never use the photos for something without our permission first. We WERE allowed to read the consent form, but I mean, who has the time to stand there and read all that at a convention? My only problem is that we were told about the uncontroversial part of the contract, and not the part about our likenesses being sold to make a profit. He and the girl who was working for him seemed like very nice people, though, and clearly his intentions were never malicious in any way. He also released a statement today saying that he would no longer be selling the pillows, so this really shouldn't even be an issue anymore. I think he just didn't realize that the cosplayers in question were unaware that he was going to be selling their photos to the public.